Growing a heart takes time

I’ve come to know Jane Goodall recently. She had invested five decades (50 years) of her life to wildlife research, education and conservation of the chimpanzees in Gombe. Gombe is in Africa. Throughout her years of growing up, she had grew to love animals. 

I would like to share part of her story of growing her heart for animals.

On one occasion, Vanne returned home during the war years to find the house curiously empty; everyone, she soon learned, was out searching for young Jane, who at this point had been missing for several hours. 

By seven o’clock that evening, expressions were turning grave. “I don’t remember who saw her first – a small, disheveled figure coming a little wearily over the tussocky field by the hen houses,” Vanne wrote. “There were bits of straw in her hair and on her clothes, but her eyes, dark ringed with fatigue, were shining. ‘She’s found,’ someone called out and soon the searchers were all back and gathered around Jane in the stable yard. 

‘Wherever have you been?’

‘With a hen.’

‘But you’ve been away for nearly five hours. What can you possibly have been doing with a hen all that time?

‘Well, you see, I had to find out how hens lay eggs, so I went into the empty coop and sat in the corner and waited until a hen came in who didn’t mind me there.’

‘So, then what happenened?’

‘A hen came at last.’ Jane’s eyes glowed with inner radiance. 
‘It was a long time, but she came at last and then she laid an egg. I saw her. So now I know how a hen lays an egg.’

 Dusk was fast gathering under the trees as we made out way back to the house. I had Jane firmly by the hand. She had just spent five hours crouched double in a stuffy hen coop, but the result had made it all worthwhile. She had successfully, and to her own entire satisfaction, completed her first animal-research program. She had observed a hen laid an egg.”

I want to highlight Jane’s perseverance, patience and hope, to build that bond with animals. Her heart grew so much for the animals, that investing her life is all worthwhile. I learned and reminded by TWO THINGS.

· To grow a heart for people takes time.
· To build trust from people takes risk and sacrifice.

We can learn so much by observing how nature worked around us. Through that, we also will learn to be better human.

Will we be willing to spend SO MUCH TIME to grow a heart for people? Will we be willing to take the risk of being a listening ear or to even share our lives with people? Will we be willing to sacrifice for people? Will we take that step forward and laid ourselves for people? 

  

How can I grow a heart for people? Start by thinking what is it like in their shoes. Start by listening to them rather than condemning. Start with pure motives to build relationships with people, and to grow a heart that accept diversity and differences.

Maybe when we start to grow a heart for people and maybe when we start to take risks and sacrifices to build trust, then something we will witness something beautiful. Just like Jane, who had witness how a hen lay an egg.

“So, let us move forward with faith in ourselves, in our intelligence, in our indomitable spirit. Let us develop respect for all living things. Let us try to replace violence and intolerance with understanding and compassion. And love.” –Jane Goodall-

(From the book Jane Goodall by Her Mother, Vanne Goodall)

Prophetic Existance: Rise up, WATCHMAN of this generation.

What is prophetic existence? How are we to comprehend and apply this perspectives and way of life as Christians?

First, it must be clear that this existence is something that concerns individual Christians, with those who have set their hearts to follow after Jesus Christ in true discipleship. In other words, it is an existence that results in discipleship reflecting Christlikeness or living lives patterned after the Lord Jesus, the Son of Man. He too had an earthly and human existence. When His disciples endeavour to live simply and effectively like Him, then prophetic existence becomes a reality.

There are three levels in prophetic existence. Firstly, it starts with the inner motive, the motive of the heart. The only motive for a prophetic existence is the love of GOD – God’s love in Christ towards the Christian and the Christian’s love for God. Secondly, it is worked out on the level of daily and ordinary life. It is WHOLESOME, not a separate entity all together – physically and spiritually. It has a direct connection with life in the flesh and blood. Thirdly, prophetic existence has a definite measure of effectiveness, which is both immediate and long term. It is an effective because it is a life that influences others and people around will respond to it – positively or negatively. The response, beginning with immediate situations, has far reaching consequences. The life of Christ Jesus showed evident of all three levels in the four gospels.

In short, the prophetic evidence is a TRANSFORMED life of an individual disciple, both spiritually and in a community. This life is made up of deeds, actions and experience generated from the knowledge of God in His Son and Saviour. These deeds, actions and experiences can be explained by words. Prophetic existence for all disciples of Jesus Christ is a costly business because their personalities are involved, their minds, emotions , will and bodies. It is costly to give themselves lifelong, like the son of Man himself.

The Environment

Environment is a vital factor in a prophetic existence. This existence takes place here on Earth in a human society under time and space conditions. Jesus Christ lived in a historical period of time and in a given geographical location. This means that prophetic existence is related to the physical, social, domestic and secular life of a Christian in a given time and place. The practical details of life: eating, drinking, clothing, shelter, conducting daily chores, are included in the context. These facts of life are true. However, in the prophetic existence the stress is not on the mere fact of physical life but in the manner and the quality of the life that is lived.

Prophetic existence can be felt in its environment. Because this existence is lived out primarily and even exclusively to please God and to fulfill His purpose, its effect can be seen in human relationships and in society. The greatest evident, is the quality of life one lived.

The Results

Subjectively, prophetic existence brings mounting suffering to the person who follows the course. This suffering could be physical, mental and spiritual. It could come in the form of anguishing loneliness and misunderstandings in society. There are indeed many expressions of suffering. Suffering is therefore inherent in the prophetic existence and this will be felt by both the individual and the group.

Objectively, prophetic existence bears the marks of an unmistakable message from God. People will know it as a message of comfort, challenge, exhortation, encouragement or judgement. It will challenge those who are not living under God to know His will for their lives and to live this out in a down-to-earth way. This is the way of God for man, to live in ordinary circumstances but with a heavenly touch.

In short, the prophetic existence has a transforming effect on others. Such transformation will also affect society itself and make it new because individuals are inwardly transformed. The working out of this wonderful existence is similar to that of salt in organic matter and light in dark places.

Finally, prophetic existence is a reality. Men and women will know that a prophet or a prophetic group works in their midst. This is God’s gracious and loving provision for this desperate world.

(Excerpts from article, Prophetic Existance, P T Chandapilla , IFES 1976)

Narrow door

As I read Luke 13:22-30. A question that is always on in my mind, “Will everyone be saved?” “Will everyone come to know the Lord?” It amazed me that this is something that was even asked during the times of Jesus, when He was living on Earth. How similar we all are, in olden times, or in modern times.

Jesus gave the explanation based on the narrow door. He made it so clear. MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ENTER THROUGH THE NARROW DOOR, because many WILL TRY to enter and WILL NOT be able to. He said MAKE EVERY EFFORT. Meaning the narrow door is really small. Visualization came to my mind, a man who is large and obese tries to enter a small door. He tried to squeeze, but he could not get through. What he needs to do, is to work out and loose the EXTRA weight to get through. That is EFFORT on his part, not just squeezing thru. How then does this apply to me personally? It is then about working out my faith: discovering for self what does my faith means and building a genuine intimate relationship with God (these take TIME and PERSEVERANCE). Look at the visual, a wide door can be enter easily.

There is a time frame for this, as it is said in the passage. The owner will come and CLOSE the door. Once the door is closed, no matter how much effort you put in by calling, knocking, wailing and kicking, it will not be open, because the owner of the house (who is Jesus Christ) will not recognize you at all. Then, it dawned on me, the crucial of living out and working out my faith.my faith. This whole passage refers back to the question post by the person that had asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

This post as a reminder to me, that if I confess I am a believer today, I cannot just SIT BACK and RELAX. I need to go on a quest to discover God. In this limited time, let's take heart making our days count as we strive to enter the narrow door opened by Jesus Christ  In this limited time, let's take heart making our days count as we strive to enter the narrow door opened by Jesus Christ!